Fuse for bombs



May 22,- 1934. D. l.. wooDBERRY FUSE FOR BOMBS Filed Sept. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 22, 1934- D. 1.. wooDBERRY 1,959,401

FUSE FOR BOMBS Filed Sept. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 j g'l am: (f (a Mr r "Miha 'y Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATES FUSE FOR BOIWBS David L. Woodberry, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Secretary of War of the United States of America Application September 20, 1926, Serial No. 136,661

6 Claims.

(Granted/"under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be nianuf factured and used by or for the Goverment for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The subject of this invention is a fuse for bombs.

The fuse forming the subject of this invention is of the type which is set off at a predetermined interval of time after launching of the bomb and is distinguished by the novel arrangement of its component elements designed to facilitate assembly and insure safety and positive operation.

In order to enable the bomb to function when dropped from extremely low altitudes, as is possible in special operations against unprotected targets, provision is made so that the primer may be ignited a short distance beneath the plane but the fuse is not completely armed until a later time so that if a defective delay train should permit the llame from the primer to blow through without interruption the detonating charge would not be set off.

To these and other ends, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements described hereinafter and point,- ed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a nose fuse shown in the unarmed position;

. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the bolt;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the bolt; and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the application of the invention to a tail fuse.

The fuse shown in Fig. 1 consists of a. cylindrical casing comprising a body 6 carrying in its outer portion a fuse head 7 and in its inner portion a container 8 in which is a booster charge 9. Between these two members is positioned a block 10 retaining a thimble 11 which carries a primer 12 and a powder train 13 preferably designed to afford a delay of fteen seconds.

Mounted for slidable movement in the block perpendicular to the am's of the fuse is a cylindrical bolt 14 containing a detonating charge 15. The bolt is normally held in the unarmed position by means of a rod 16 withdrawn from engagement with the bolt during ight of the bomb as will be presently described. The bolt thus ,released i si 1rge d `to armed position by one or morel'springs l'l'where itis securely held by a spring pressed pin 18 mounted in the block and also serving to guide the bolt in its transverse movement. $3

Mounted in the fuse head axially of the fuse is a firing pin 19 and a firing pin spring 20 for urging the pin towards the primer. The ring pin is provided with a threaded stem 19a normally engaged with the spindle 21 of a vane as- 65 sembly 22 which operates in the accustomed manner during flight to unthread itself from the fuse. The number of threads will, of course, determine the time of release of the firing pin and in the present case the elapsed interval should correspond to a drop of approximately fifty feet. To permit unthreading, the firing pin is held by means of a pin 23 carried thereby and extending into a longitudinal groove 24 in the fuse head.

As the spindle moves out of the fuse, an annular flange 21a thereon engaging the head of the release rod 16 lifts the same clear of the bolt 14.

It will be noted, however, that this action does not occur until some time after the firing pin has been released, as the length of that portion of the release rod 16 engaging the bolt 14 is greater than the length of the stem 19a of the ring pin. The intervening time corresponding to a further drop of about iifty feet. This provision is made so that should the delay train prove defective detonation of the bomb cannot take place close enough to the plane to cause damage. Since the fuse is completely armed after approximately feet of flight, the bomb may be launched from a low flying plane with considerable accuracy.

In the application of the invention to the tail fuse shown in Fig. 4 the same arrangement of members ,is substantially retained. The firing pin 25 is mounted in the cover 26 of the block 27 which carries the delay train 28 and the bolt 29. The 95 release rod 30, is not lifted out by the vane assembly. The head 30a of the rod is positioned underneath the inner end of the spindle 31 so that movement of the rod through the agency of the spring 32 is controlled by the spindle 31. 100 The operation of successively releasing first the firing pin and then the bolt is the same as in the nose fuse. A safety pin 33 engaging the head 30a of the rod is removed before placing the fuse in a bomb.

I claim:

1. A fuse including a casing, a powder train in the casing, a ring pin disposed on one side of the train, a transversely slidable bolt including a detonator disposed on the other side of the train, 110

means for normally holding the ring pin and bolt in unarmed position, said means removable during flight to successively release rst the ring pin and then the bolt.

2. A fuse including a casing. a powder train in the casing, a firing pin disposed on one side of the train, a transversely slidable bolt including a detonator disposed on the other side of the train, means for normally holding the firing pin and bolt in unarmed position, said means operable in unison to successively release rst the firing pin and then the bolt.

3. A fuse including a casing, a tiring pin mem;= ber in the casing, an explosive carrying member in the casing positioned remotely relative to the firing pin member, means for normally holding said members inrunarmed position, said means having a greater length of engagement with the explosive carrying member than with the firing pin member and operating in unison during flight to successively release first the firing pin member and then the explosive carrying member.

4. A fuse for bombs including a delay train, means for firing the delay train after a predetermined interval oi' flight, a booster, a. detonator normally out of line with the delay train and booster and means for releasing the detonator to armed position subsequent to ring of the delay train.

5. A fuse including a. casing a ring pin mounted axially of the casing, a bolt movable transversely of the casing, a vane unit including a spindle threaded in the easing and else threaded to the ring pin and unthreadable therefrom during flight, a non-axial release rod engageable with the bolt for on the release rod engageable by the spindle for holding said rod in bolt engaging position.

6. A fuse including a casing, a firing pin member in the casing, an explosive carrying member in the casing, meansengaging one of said members for holding said member in unarmed position, an element engaging the other of said members for holding such member in unarmed position, and a connection between said means and element whereby they operate during flight to successively release said members.

DAVID L. WOODBERRY.

holding it unarmed and means l 

